Monday, July 6, 2015

EA Strikes Again, Fork Over Your Money (Bioware, This Is Your Fault Too)

So I raved about Dragon Age Inquisition and its DLC. I played on the 360. Yes, we have a PS4, but at the time when we got the game we didn't so I had the 360 version. Our old 360 died and there was no way for me to play. Then we replaced the 360 and we got a new PS4. I know. Everyone is wondering why we didn't just get an Xbox One. Honestly, we couldn't justify spending almost 400 dollars on that thing. If it was cheaper, then sure maybe. Perhaps when it goes down in price, we can upgrade to it.

This brings up the next thing. I have actively tried to ignore the fact that EA has Bioware in its clutches. I know my husband is still sore about what they did to Westwood Studios (for you young people; they created a pretty cool space game called Earth and Beyond) and how they totally sucked all the funding from their game, dismantled it, sent the developers to other projects, and shut everything down. I say actively because I do love the Dragon Age series. I wasn't fond of Dragon Age II but Inquisition has made up for that. I have mixed feelings with DLC. On the one hand, some of them are worth it. On the other hand, why can't developers just give you a full game with all the bells and whistles like the gaming days of old? It completely reeks of give us your money with no thought or respect for the gamers who already bought their game. I get it. There's money to be made and we're just the cash cow they want to milk to death, but there has to be a limit. Also the exclusivity DLC for Jaws of Hakkon (I was lucky I had a 360 so I got it) for 360 and Xbox One that actively excluded PS3 and PS4 gamers and gave them the DLC at a later date was bullshit and let's be honest, you knew it was bullshit.

So then I read this article which you can read here: http://www.gamesradar.com/dragon-age-inquisition-dlc-xbox-one-ps4-pc-save-import/

That's right. If you have an older console such as a PS3 or Xbox 360 and you want to play the upcoming new DLC at all; you have to upgrade to the new consoles. This is the biggest damn bait and switch I've seen in a long while. As they spoke about how there would be new DLC earlier; they claimed it would be for all the consoles and now they're singing a different tune. Now it's only for the PC, the Xbox One, and the PS4. This is a huge F- You to the very gamers that buy their games; to gamers everywhere. DLC in general is giving the middle finger to gamers.

Look, I understand that it's much easier to code for the new shiny next gen consoles. I understand it's time to move on to the next BIG thing. What I don't understand is actively punishing those who still hang on to the old ones. I don't understand effectively lying to people saying something is going to be for all of the consoles when it really isn't. If EA/Bioware had been upfront about it from the beginning, I'm sure it would have gone over a lot better. Sure, there would be people who would be angry about it, but it would not be nearly this level of fury that I'm seeing on their social media pages.

The other thing I'm wondering is when did it become a bad thing to be old? Yes, new things come along making the old ones obsolete, but when did it become acceptable to take your old console out to the woodshed and go Old Yeller on its ass simply because it wasn't new anymore? I still have my PS2 and Gamecube and they work great. I still play games on them and enjoy them. There are a lot of other gamers who feel that way too. So no, it's not completely ridiculous to get rid of your old consoles and upgrade to the new ones if that's your choice. What is foolish is to expect gamers to not be furious with you for essentially pulling a bait and switch and flooding your social media with just how much that pisses them off.

Bioware this is your fault too. You went along with this nonsense. I get it. The money is good and EA is the sugar daddy of your dreams, but how much more of your soul can you really sell? The founding members saw the writing on the wall and they quit when they had the chance. That was probably the smartest thing they could have done considering how this scenario is playing out. Many of the gamers are older people like myself who remember that first thrill of playing our first video games and how much we loved it. We love it still which is why it's frustrating that companies like yourselves seem to forget it wasn't about the money for us. It was about having fun and playing a truly amazing game with our family and friends. The younger generation understands that ideal too and it's great for us to see them enjoying some of the same games we grew up with and discovering new ones. It seems all that money has blinded you to that side of things and it's a damn shame.

I still love the Dragon Age games and I'll always love gaming. What I don't love is how greedy some of these companies have gotten and EA seems to be the biggest offender in that situation. They seem to be a repeated constant when it comes to running games into the ground or milking it for every last cent it has to further their own agenda which is making as much money as possible even if it means they disrespect the gamers because they do not care. I know that sounds harsh, but I'm cynical about this kind of stuff because I have seen it happen way too often of late. I want a full REAL game that shows that it was created by people who are gamers themselves and love games too without having some soulless corporation who thinks they "know games" telling us to fork over our money for every DLC that comes along. I think all of the gamers in the world deserve that. If you want us to buy your games, then at least show you care enough to make a great game that everyone will enjoy; not bleed us dry for every single penny.

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